The future of The Last of Us is set to be very different after creator Neil Druckmann announced he will be stepping away from the series.
Based on the video game series of the same name, The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in a post-apocalyptic world.
The acclaimed series, which returned for a second season earlier this year, follows groups of survivors 20 years after a fungal virus infects large swathes of humanity.
While the show has a mixed reception among its biggest fans right now, critics still love the HBO series and the series is cited as an example of how to adapt video games into TV shows.
This transition from game to screen was helped by Druckmann, 46, who wrote and directed both The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II before creating the TV show.
But whatever a third season looks like for the series, Druckmann won’t be involved after announcing his intention to step away from the hit zombie horror (via The Ankler).
On the Instagram page for The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog, he said: ‘I’ve made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO.
‘With work completed on season two and before any meaningful work starts on season three, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects.’
He continued: ‘[This includes] writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, along with my responsibilities as Studio Head and Head of Creative.
‘Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It’s been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct and write on the last two seasons.’
Druckmann concluded by saying that he was ‘deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II’.
On the social media site X, fans shared their concerns about the show’s future following Neil’s decision.
‘Season 3 might lose its soul without Druckmann Mazin’s good, but this story was born from Neil’s mind,’ wrote @Mahveer_ on X.
@Crypt0Xia was similarly concerned, writing, ‘Wow, that’s a big shift. Season 3 will definitely have a different vibe without Druckmann.’
Meanwhile, @Gorpasurus added: ‘This is terrible news. The creator of the game leaving the adaptation will not end well.’
Not everyone is down in the dumps about the news, however, and some fans see this as an opportunity for the series to free itself from the game’s legacy.
@FilmGamerOne wrote ‘This is a great opportunity for Craig to branch out and not just do a carbon copy of the game.’
On Reddit, a number of people felt Neil had made the right decision in light of his responsibilities as the head of Naughty Dog studios.
‘This is the right take,’ wrote jar45. ‘You can’t devote yourself to a prestige TV show while working on an AAA game. It’s one or the other.’
‘I respect his decision, you gotta do what’s best for you and what may feel right,’ explained Microwavableturd. ‘I like both seasons, I don’t think Craig nor other creatives who help bring this story to life will disappoint.’
‘Craig Mazin is one of the best screenwriters in the business,’ added ThreeColorsTrilogy. ‘You guys really shouldn’t be worried.’
Others were keen to point out that it’s been nearly a decade since Naughty Dog released an original game (all of their most recent titles have been remakes) and that Neil’s attention is likely required on their upcoming release: Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Series writer Halley Gross has also made the decision to step away from The Last of Us after being one of the lead writers for the first two seasons, which boast 94% and 92% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.
The critics’ consensus for season one reads as follows: ‘Retaining the most addictive aspects of its beloved source material while digging deeper into the story, The Last of Us is binge-worthy TV that ranks among the all-time greatest video game adaptations.’
Gross continued: ‘With great care and consideration, I’ve decided to take a step back from my day-to-day work on HBO’s The Last of Us to make space for what comes next.
‘I’m so appreciative of how special this experience has been. Working alongside Neil, Craig, HBO, and this remarkable cast and crew has been life-changing.’
No date has been given yet regarding the release of The Last of Us season three, but the series was renewed for a third season in April 2025 and will continue to adapt The Last of Us Part II video game.
Watch The Last of Us on Apple TV, Sky Go, and Amazon Prime Video.
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